crane

noun \ ˈkrān \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of crane

1 : any of a family (Gruidae of the order Gruiformes) of tall wading birds superficially resembling the herons but structurally more nearly related to the rails

2 : any of several herons

3 : an often horizontal projection swinging about a vertical axis: such as

a : a machine for raising, shifting, and lowering heavy weights by means of a projecting swinging arm or with the hoisting apparatus supported on an overhead track

b : an iron arm in a fireplace for supporting kettles

c : a boom for holding a motion-picture or television camera

See crane defined for English-language learners

See crane defined for kids

Recent Examples of crane from the Web

The police video -- captured by surveillance cameras -- shows the dramatic moments as the giant crane tipped over, sending two workers below sprinting away.

— CBS News, "Crane collapse in Florida sends workers running for their lives," 5 Apr. 2018
The police video captured by surveillance cameras shows the dramatic moments as the giant crane tipped over, sending two workers below sprinting away.

— Fox News, "Workers run for their lives as crane topples over in Florida," 5 Apr. 2018
Changes coming to the PhilaPort (think: giant cranes) will be a boon not just to Philly workers, but to the entire local economy, writes Dennis M. Davin, Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development.

— aubrey nagle, Philly.com, "Villanova wins it all, no water in fatal nursing home fire, Cosby jury selection begins | Morning Newsletter," 3 Apr. 2018
Bobby worked for Kement Construction, Dew Construction, and the Manafort Brothers as a crane operator, and finally retired from Arborio Construction Company.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "Robert Hinckley," 15 Mar. 2018
Javier is the son of Julia Cadena, an interpreter at a health clinic, and Francisco Mercado, a crane operator.

— erik lacitis, The Seattle Times, "The tale of Rex, the Des Moines dog who took bullets for his teenage best friend," 12 Mar. 2018
Chris, a steel mill crane operator, and Laney, a preschool teacher, got the idea for the business around a game of cards.

— mary colurso, AL.com, "Cool Spaces: DIY family embraces 'a lifetime project' at Stillwater Farm," 24 Jan. 2018
Nice but noisy We’re on Worth Street in TriBeCa, near where a giant crane collapsed two years ago.

— as told to patricia r. olsen, New York Times, "Waging the Cancer War, Surrounded by Signs of Life," 12 Jan. 2018
Bigger cranes mean more containers being moved around, which means more cargo capacity.

— joe pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "The Big Machines Bringing Industry—and War—to the Melting Arctic," 3 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crane.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of crane

Origin and Etymology of crane

Middle English cran, from Old English; akin to Old High German krano crane, Greek geranos, Latin grus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

Other Civil Engineering Terms

asphalt, ballast, barrage, cantilever, infrastructure, sluice

crane

verb

Definition of crane

craned; craning

transitive verb

1 : to raise or lift by or as if by a crane

2 : to stretch toward an object of attention

craning her neck to get a better view

intransitive verb

1 : to stretch one's neck toward an object of attention

I craned out of the window of my compartment
—Webb Waldron

2 : hesitate

See crane defined for English-language learners

Examples of crane in a Sentence

We craned our necks toward the stage.
craned her head to see the roof

Recent Examples of crane from the Web

Leon and Moises crane their necks to take in the bulky verticality of it all.

— tyrone beason, The Seattle Times, "A reporter feels the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.’s promised land on a Mexican mountaintop," 31 Mar. 2018
In that game, Grace pitched the ninth inning and did his famous Mike Fetters impersonation by quickly craning his neck and glaring toward home plate with a grimacing scowl.

— bob mcmanaman, azcentral, "Arizona Diamondbacks Chapter 1: Great Expectations 1998-2002," 25 Mar. 2018
Some filmmakers still think that a 360-degree video that forces viewers to crane their neck and hunt around for content is a good idea (geez, please stop making those).

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "VR headsets have become the new arthouse—the best of SXSW’s fantastic VR festival," 18 Mar. 2018
Every time, his neck craned back over his left shoulder to see who was trailing him.

— dakota crawford, Indianapolis Star, "Marcelino Ball is man to lead IU football's defensive reboot — if teammates can keep up," 8 Mar. 2018
Several photos show bystanders craning to get a good look.

— michael e. ruane, Washington Post, "Thirty-two frightening snapshots of a hanging. And no one knew who the victims were – until now.," 9 Feb. 2018
Members of the audience slid forward in their seats, craning their necks and priming their smartphones for action.

— ryan p. smith, Smithsonian, "The Obamas’ Official Portraits Break New Ground With Their Boldness," 13 Feb. 2018
Everyone craned their necks and watched her climb the podium steps, sit down and speak into the microphone for what could be the final time.

— brendan marks, charlotteobserver, "Danica Patrick’s final NASCAR race awaits. So does her complicated, unfinished legacy.," 10 Feb. 2018
But craning your neck sideways to watch TV from the bed isn’t very comfortable, and therefore, not very relaxing.

— jennifer adams, Philly.com, "Ask Jennifer Adams: Ideas for how to place a bed in front of a window," 29 Jan. 2018

First Known Use of crane

1570

crane Synonyms

Crane

biographical name \ ˈkrān \

Definition of Crane

(Harold) Hart 1899–1932 American poet

Crane

biographical name

Definition of Crane

Stephen 1871–1900 American writer

Crane

biographical name

Definition of Crane

Walter 1845–1915 English artist

CRANE Defined for English Language Learners

crane

noun

Definition of crane for English Language Learners

: a big machine with a long arm that is used by builders for lifting and moving heavy things
: a type of tall bird that has a long neck and long legs and lives near water